Montaigne
The Philosopher of the Passage
What do I know? Michel painted himself. Without makeup. With humor. He invented the essay. And honesty.
7
Quotes
6
Themes
0
Era
Life and journey
Michel painted himself in his tower. humanist magistrate.
Their thought
Smiling skepticism. 'What do I know?'. Truth is undulating.
What they leave us
invented the essay. honesty as the highest philosophy.
Major works
Essays (1580-1595).
Filter by themes:
7 quotes
“Je ne peins pas l'être. Je peins le passage.”
Original quote in French
Suggested translation
“I do not paint the being. I paint the passage.”
— Essais
“Parce que c'était lui ; parce que c'était moi.”
Original quote in French
Suggested translation
“Because it was he; because it was I.”
— Essais
“Qui a appris à mourir, il a désappris à servir.”
Original quote in French
Suggested translation
“He who has learned to die has unlearned to serve.”
— Essais
“Chacun appelle barbarie ce qui n'est pas de son usage.”
Original quote in French
Suggested translation
“Everyone calls barbarism what is not their custom.”
— Essais
“La plus grande chose du monde, c'est de savoir être à soi.”
Original quote in French
Suggested translation
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.”
— Essais
“Si on me presse de dire pourquoi je l'aimais, je sens que cela ne se peut exprimer qu'en répondant : 'Parce que c'était lui, parce que c'était moi'.”
Original quote in French
Suggested translation
“If pressed to say why I loved him, I feel that it can only be expressed by answering: 'Because it was him, because it was me'.”
— Essais
“La plus grande chose du monde est de savoir être à soi.”
Original quote in French
Suggested translation
“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.”
— Inconnu
